04-05-2025
School notes: FCPS student wins 'If I Were Mayor' contest
A student from Frederick County Public Schools was named a winner of the 2025 'If I Were Mayor' essay contest.
Eliza Wood, a student at Middletown Elementary School, was recognized alongside 10 other students in the state by the Maryland Municipal League and Maryland first lady Dawn Flythe Moore.
The 2025 essay contest theme was 'Building Community for a New Generation.' Students wrote the essays as if they were mayors of their cities or towns.
Students wrote about concepts like 'building inclusive and safe communities' and 'making sure basic needs are met so residents can reach their full potential,' according to a press release.
During the ceremony, Moore said to the students: 'There is not a single room you don't belong in.'
'You are the future of our state, and we cannot wait to see all that you achieve,' she said.
The contest was sponsored by Maryland Municipal League and the Maryland Mayors Association.
Oakdale Elementary to host STEM summer program
Oakdale Elementary School is scheduled to host the Camp Invention enrichment program over the summer.
The nonprofit STEM program for students in kindergarten through sixth grade is scheduled to be at Oakdale Elementary from June 23 to 26.
The program is from the National Inventors Hall of Fame in partnership with the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
Camp Invention features student activities that 'tap into their natural curiosity and use their creativity to solve problems,' according to a press release.
This year's program called 'Discover' will feature hands-on activities, such as building a claw machine out of cardboard, assembling a custom control panel and building an animation device.
Registration for this summer is available at
West Frederick, Whittier earn Purple Stars
West Frederick Middle School and Whittier Elementary School are the first two schools in Frederick County to receive the Maryland Purple Star School designation.
The Maryland State Board of Education recognizes schools with this award for 'outstanding support of military-connected students and their families,' according to a United States Army press release.
The schools also demonstrated a 'strong commitment to easing the educational and social-emotional transitions faced by children in military families,' according to the release.
Schools had to meet four criteria to qualify for a Purple Star award: appointing a military liaison, creating online resources, implementing a peer-led transition program and providing staff training on military culture.
Randi Gonzalez, a special education program assistant at Whittier Elementary, was named the military liaison for the elementary school.
'It's more than a symbol, it's a representation of our community's resilience and inclusivity,' Gonzalez said in the release.
Frederick High alumni plaque
The Frederick High School Alumni Association donated a cast bronze plaque to display outside the front door of the school.
The plaque features the school's motto, 'Enter to Learn, Go Forth to Serve.'
Thomas Sterner, the founder of Art Factory studio near Union Mills, was commissioned to create the plaque.
The high school's alumni association was incorporated in 1944, according to association President Debbie Richmond.
She wrote in a statement that the association has provided student scholarships as well as held spring and Christmas dances for decades.
'The plaque is donated with fond memories and hope for future generations,' Richmond wrote.
Send school-related news to Esther Frances at efrances@
